When it comes to preventing diabetes, small steps will lead to big rewards! There are many ways to delay or prevent diabetes such as moving more and making healthy food choices. We put together a small list of tips to help people prevent this illness.

Lose Weight to Prevent or Delay Diabetes

You can delay or prevent diabetes by losing a small amount of weight. Eat smaller meals. Keep your poultry, meat, and fish portions to about 3 ounces. Make sure you eat a healthy, low-calorie breakfast every morning. Drink 8 glasses of water each day to keep your appetite at bay. Make smart food choices when you go to restaurants. Choose a salad or grilled chicken and skip the burgers and french fries. You don’t have to eliminate your favorite junk foods from your diet completely. Just eat them less often and cut down on your portion sizes.

Exercise to Reduce Diabetes Risk

You can prevent or delay diabetes by exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You can work out at home, at the park, around your neighborhood, or at your local health club. If you like aerobics, pick up some exercise videos from the library or store. Walk as much as you can each week. Even if you don’t lose any weight, you’ll be healthier. Keep in mind that if you lose 10 pounds, you will significantly slash your risk of developing diabetes.

Eat Healthy Whole Grains

Selecting the right cereals will keep your blood sugar steady and help you slim down. Whole grain cereal, such as slow cooked oatmeal, is linked to lower rates of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Go Veggie More Often

You should not eat meat every day because it may increase your risk of developing diabetes. Eating processed meats like bacon 5 days a week also raises the risk of diabetes by 43 percent. Scientists suspect that the additives in processed meats and the cholesterol in red meats are to blame.